“The profile suits me really well.” With 11,000 meters of altitude difference in four stages on the Germany tour that starts tomorrow in Weimar, professional cyclist Felix Großschartner’s heart beats faster. The Marchtrenker climber, who hasn’t competed since the Tour de France in July, gives one of his last performances in the dress of the World Tour team Bora before moving to the UAE and top star Tadej Pogacar next season.
With Marco Haller, the state champion has the sensational winner of the “Cyclassics” in Hamburg last Sunday at his side. While other Austrians from the Innviertel region, Sebastian Schönberger (B&B) and Hermann Pernsteiner (Bahrain), are also set to take part in the state tour, you won’t find local Continental teams such as Wels or Steyr on the starting list. They did not get an invitation for the race in the neighboring country. Incidentally, Austria is not providing a team for the Tour de l’Avenir, the world’s largest junior tour this year.
The Vuelta continues today in the Basque Country with stage four and the mountain finish at Laguardia.
The Ötztaler Cycle Marathon, which takes place for the 41st time on Sunday and counts 4000 starters, is considered the largest test of its kind among amateur cyclists Martin Koch and many more master the 227-kilometer route with 5500 meters of altitude difference over the four Alpine passes Kühtai, Brenner, Jaufen and Timmelsjoch. Lukas Kaufmann from Mühlviertel has more ambitious goals after coming in 46th at his premiere last year. “This year I’m a lot stronger, the top ten would be awesome.”
This race has a long tradition, but also a small shortcoming: no doping controls are carried out there.
Source: Nachrichten
